La’el Collins Rumors: Thursday
NFL teams can’t make visits to Baton Rouge to meet with LSU offensive lineman La’el Collins until the school’s final exams conclude later this week, but clubs are finding ways around that rule, making informal recruiting pitches and bringing Collins to them rather than going to him. A report last night indicated that the undrafted free agent was visiting the Cowboys in Dallas, and we have more details on that meeting, as well as Thursday’s other updates on Collins:
- The Colts are trying to set up a meeting with Collins, and the Falcons are also in the running to sign him, tweets Michael Cauble of WBRZ in Baton Rouge. In total, Collins has five teams on his radar, and is weighing each situation, considering playing time and other factors, according to Cauble (Twitter link).
- Per Cauble (Twitter link), Collins is scheduled to fly to Miami for a more formal meeting with the Dolphins within the next 24 hours.
Earlier updates:
- Collins received the “red carpet treatment” from Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, who hosted the lineman at his private residence in Dallas, and was joined by Tony Romo and the team’s offensive line, writes Chad Sabadie of Fox 8 New Orleans. According to Sabadie’s source, Jones told Collins that the Cowboys “want to assemble the greatest offensive line ever.”
- Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Twitter links), who also reported on Collins’ meeting with the Cowboys, writes that the rookie lineman is taking his time, weighing his options, and looking for the best fit.
- Jordan Raanan of NJ.com examines what sort of money teams could offer to Collins, noting that clubs already committing a good chunk of bonus money to other undrafted free agents could be at a slight disadvantage, since they’d have little left to offer from their UDFA pools.
Falcons To Sign 19 Undrafted FAs
The Falcons announced today in a press release that they’ve agreed to terms with 19 undrafted free agents, the largest UDFA class yet among those that have been officially confirmed.
The full list of the newest additions to the Atlanta roster is below. Players whose signing bonuses have been reported are noted:
- Derek Akunne, LB, North Texas ($2K bonus, per Vaughn McClure)
- Chris Brown, DT, Tarleton State
- Marquez Clark, WR, Central Oklahoma ($3.5K bonus, per McClure)
- Cody Clay, OL, Azusa Pacific University
- Terell Floyd, S, Louisville
- Beau Gardner, TE, Northern Arizona
- Warren Herring, DT, Wisconsin
- Mike Lee, CB, Fort Valley State ($1K bonus, per Aaron Wilson)
- Eric Lefeld, T, Cincinnati
- Derrick Malone, LB, Oregon
- Joey Mbu, DT, Houston ($5K bonus, per McClure)
- Jordan Ozerities, CB, Central Florida ($1K bonus, per McClure)
- Damian Parms, S, Florida Atlantic ($3K bonus, per Wilson)
- Joshua Stangby, WR, Ottawa University ($1K, per McClure)
- Robenson Therezie, S, Auburn
- Valerian Ume-Ezeoke, C, New Mexico State ($3K bonus, per Wilson)
- Terron Ward, RB, Oregon State
- Kevin White, CB, Texas Christian
- Shane Wynn, WR, Indiana ($2K, per McClure)
NFC Notes: Cards, Washington, Bears
While John Carlson‘s retirement announcement today came as a surprise to many observers, the Cardinals‘ football people weren’t shocked by the news, per Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic (Twitter links). However, Somers notes that the team wasn’t aware of Carlson’s plan prior to the draft, so it’s fair to wonder if Arizona might’ve taken a tight end a little earlier — the team selected Louisville’s Gerald Christian with the 256th and final pick in this year’s draft, making him 2015’s “Mr. Irrelevant.”
Here’s more from around the NFC:
- After selecting running back Matt Jones in the draft last week, Washington is no longer in the market for veteran free agent Pierre Thomas, tweets ESPN.com’s John Keim.
- Following the 2015 draft, the Bears’ front office is undergoing some major changes under new general manager Ryan Pace. As Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune details, college scouting director Marty Barrett won’t have his contract renewed after 18 years with the franchise. Meanwhile, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets that Jay Muraco is out as Chicago’s East Coast scout, confirming a report from Neil Stratton of InsideTheLeague (Twitter link). A source tells Alex Marvez of Fox Sports (Twitter link) that Barrett figures to land with the Jets, while Caplan tweets that Muraco may resurface with the Falcons.
- Speaking to Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com, Pace explained why the Bears decided not to use one of their six picks on a quarterback during the draft.
- Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap takes a closer look at the specific numbers in Jameis Winston‘s rookie contract with the Buccaneers, and how they reflect the changes in the overall rookie salary pool. So far, Winston is the only rookie reported to have officially signed his contract.
- Panthers special teams coordinator Bruce DeHaven is taking a medical leave of absence to deal with a “serious health situation,” and will be replaced in the interim by Russ Purnell, writes Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer.
NFC Notes: Jones, Peterson, Eagles
There have been no contract talks between Julio Jones‘ agent and the Falcons, Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com writes. Still, GM Thomas Dimitroff says that the star wide receiver is a priority. “There is no question that our focus in the future will be on Julio Jones and where we are,” Dimitroff told ESPN.com. “I don’t want to get into specifics about the timing of that, obviously. But now that the draft is over and we continue to build this football team, we understand that Julio is a very important part of our building and evolving as a championship-type team.” Dimitroff also claimed that Jones’ foot problems were not an issue for him. Here’s more from the NFC..
- Recently, the agent for Adrian Peterson hinted that the Vikings running back wanted extra financial incentive to continue playing with Minnesota. When asked about whether he’d meet those demands, GM Rick Spielman declined to comment, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes. Peterson is under contract for the next three seasons but none of his money is guaranteed.
- After the Eagles fired three members of their scouting department, there has been speculation that former GM Howie Roseman will be the next to go, Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes.
- When asked if the Rams may be trying to copy the Seahawks’ with strengths in defense, the running game, and the passing game, GM Les Snead acknowledged that wouldn’t be a bad strategy, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes.
Joe Barksdale Worked Out For Falcons
After not addressing their offensive line in the draft until the seventh round, the Falcons appear to still be on the lookout for veteran help along the line. According to Howard Balzer of The SportsXchange (via Twitter), Atlanta brought in free agent offensive tackle Joe Barksdale today for a tryout.
At the start of the free agency period in March, it appeared that Barksdale would be one of the more attractive tackles available, but he hasn’t generated much interest. While the Rams and Titans have shown some interest, other teams opted for free agents with less experience than Barksdale, who has been a starter in St. Louis in recent years.
As our Dallas Robinson observed when he examined Barksdale’s free agent stock, Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranked the former Ram just 48th out of 84 qualified tackles. However, his +5.6 run-blocking grade placed him just outside the top 10 in that category.
Minor Moves: Monday
With the draft now in the books, we can expect plenty of roster shuffling in the coming days and weeks, as teams ready their 90-man rosters for training camp. Here are Monday’s minor moves from around the league:
4:20pm:
- The Broncos have waived offensive tackles Paul Cornick and Jeremy Kelley, according to the Denver Post (Twitter link). Troy Renck of the Denver Post (Twitter link) expects the Bears to have interest in Cornick, who started six games in Dener last season. Of course, new Bears head coach John Fox and OC Adam Gase were previously with the Broncos.
- The Falcons have signed former Titans fullback Collin Mooney, the team announced today (Twitter link). It’s a multiyear pact for Mooney, per Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
- Syracuse linebacker Cameron Lynch is the latest rookie free agent to join the Rams, according to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Twitter link).
- The 49ers have waived linebacker Chase Thomas with a non-football injury designation, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Thomas tore his ACL in the offseason.
- The Buccaneers have claimed offensive lineman Reid Fragel off waivers from the Falcons, per Wilson (via Twitter). The move reunites the ex-Falcon with his old offensive coordinator, Dirk Koetter.
- The Packers have cut offensive lineman Joe Madsen, tweets Wilson. Madsen finished the year on the team’s practice squad before signing a futures contract.
10:46am:
- The Colts have cut several players from their roster today, according to Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star, who tweets that the team waived wide receiver Kadron Boone, defensive end Gannon Conway, offensive lineman Matt Hall, and former Olympic medalist Jeff Demps.
- Washington has parted ways with veteran edge defender Gabe Miller, according to his agent Brett Tessler (Twitter link). The former fifth-round pick saw his first regular-season NFL action last season.
- Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean (Twitter link) adds Maryland linebacker Yannik Cudjoe-Virgil to the list of UDFAs signed by the Titans.
Minor Moves: Sunday
We will keep tabs on today’s minor transactions right here:
- The Falcons have waived TE Kyle Miller, according to the team’s official Twitter account.
Falcons Acquire No. 137 Pick From Vikings
The first pick of the fifth round has already traveled quite a distance, having previously been held by the Buccaneers and Bills. The Vikings were set to pick at No. 137, but according to Andrew Krammer of 1500ESPN (on Twitter), the team will be shipping that pick to the Falcons. In return, Minnesota will get a fifth-rounder (No. 146) and sixth-rounder (No. 185), according to Matt Vensel of The Minneapolis Star Tribune on Twitter.
Atlanta will select Clemson defensive tackle Grady Jarrett, according to Vaugh McClure of ESPN.com (via Twitter). NFL.com projected the defensive lineman to be selected in the second round.
Minor Moves: Friday
Here’s a round-up of the latest minor moves from around the NFL:
- The Bengals have waived former Texas Tech wide receiver Eric Ward, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
Earlier updates:
- The Falcons waived five players today, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Running back Ronnie Wingo, tackle Reid Fragel, cornerback Jordan Mabin, linebacker Jacques Smith, and safety Brandan Bishop were all cut to help make room for the incoming rookie class. None of the five players were contributors in Atlanta.
- The Bears signed safety Malcolm Bronson to a two-year contract after he impressed as a tryout player in their three-day minicamp, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune tweets. The McNeese State product entered the NFL in 2003 as an undrafted free agent with the Chiefs and spent the 2013 season on Kansas City’s practice squad before being released before the start of the 2014 season. Bronson appeared in 40 games at McNeese State from 2009-12, recording 230 tackles, 10 interceptions, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, nine tackles for a loss and 18 pass break-ups.
Top Teams In Round Two Taking Calls
3:54pm: Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link) adds the Seahawks and Falcons to the list of teams that may want to move up to the early part of the second round.
3:36pm: There were only two trades completed during the first round of the NFL draft last night, but it sounds like the action could pick up tonight when the second round gets underway. According to Albert Breer of the NFL Network (via Twitter), both the Titans and Buccaneers, picking 33rd and 34th respectively, have fielded calls for their picks. Breer adds that clubs interested in moving up may be targeting wide receivers and/or offensive linemen.
Meanwhile, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link) confirms that the Titans and other teams at the top of the second round are indeed receiving trade inquiries. According to Schefter, one team with interest in moving up is the Steelers.
It’s not clear which player the Steelers would be targeting if they were to move up in the second round, but Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette tweets that the team has its eye on a particular cornerback, and may have to move up to land him. If Pittsburgh doesn’t get that player, the team may wait until the third round to take a corner, according to Dulac.
There’s no shortage of teams that may have interest in moving up in the second round. Earlier today, Marc Sessler of NFL.com identified the Cowboys, Browns, Cardinals, Lions, and Saints as candidates to trade up; other clubs that have an excess of picks and may not want to use them all include the Colts, Texans, 49ers, Chiefs, and Broncos.